Employee engagement with learning and development
Peer to peer learning and development
How internal communications can bring career pathways to life
Most career journeys are far from a straight line.
We’ve recently spent time in London, running a workshop and working on communicating and engaging employees with career journey options. There’s so much opportunity out there for people, but it needs to be clear, easy to navigate, inspiring, and people need the ability to make time for it.
A step forward, a step back, a sideways move, a leap into something new. It’s rarely linear. And when those stories are shared, it helps others see what’s possible. Right now, the conversation keeps coming back to skills. Multi-skilling, upskilling, reskilling, cross-skilling. However you frame it, it’s about continuously renewing your skills to keep growing.
The challenge isn’t a lack of opportunity. It’s helping people navigate it, providing the capability and confidence to have good career conversations, and making time. Whilst most companies have great learning resources and tools, we need to provide the career pathways and employee communication layer that reminds, inspires and puts colleagues in the driving seat of career growth.
Helping them understand where they are, what their skills are, what career paths exist and how they can take the next step. And importantly, making time for learning or building everyday learning habits, which is often the hardest part.
Today, this really matters.
According to Randstad, two-thirds of employees believe continuous learning is crucial to their future employability, and reskilling is a top priority for a significant portion of the workforce, particularly those seeking internal career advancement.
It’s why we’re doing so much work right now around learning, development and career pathway communications. It’s a hot topic, but more importantly, it’s a meaningful one.
And it’s something I’ve experienced myself. From marine engineering, strategy planning and business development to customer service, running a creative communications agency and executive mentoring, the journey has never been linear!
[Questions to ask yourself]
1. What skills does our business need to deliver the business plan?
2. What do our people need to support their career growth?
Information? Inspiration? Guidance? Conversation? Training? Support? Time?
3. Do we have a simple career framework with communities, roles and career pathways so employees can see the paths and progression available to them?
Is it easy to see what you might need to do to progress from A to B?
4. Do managers have the confidence, capability, tools and training to have meaningful and inspiring career conversations with their teams?
Can they navigate the resources we have available to coach and signpost people effectively?
5. What learning, development, training, coaching and mentoring tools and resources do you have within your Learning Management System?
Are they in one clear, easy-to-navigate place? Can we record and track what’s most popular?
6. Are there tailored learning journeys for different colleague needs?
New starters v experienced hires v flexible or freelance workers?
7. Are we helping people understand their current skills, future skills and best next step?
Is there a simple process and system for employees to record their skills over time? Can the company search for people with a specific set of skills that might bring people together for a new project?
8. Are we making learning achievable in the day to day?
We may value learning, but if there’s no time, permission or habit-building support, it’s just a promise without delivery.
9. Are we communicating the very different career journeys people have in reality?
People connect with stories, sideways moves, secondments, stretch projects, reskilling journeys and examples from real colleagues.
10. Are we building a culture of continuous learning and upskilling?
What creative communications support ongoing awareness, motivation and action?
#InternalCommunications #EmployeeEngagement #LearningAndDevelopment #EmployeeCommunications #CareerDevelopment #Upskilling #LearningCulture
Want to know more?
hello@theassembled.co.uk
07817 153320